It is bizarre that the prospect of the Giants moving to New York wasn't even raised in The New York Times article on the same subject. How can the Times allow itself to be scooped on a straight news story by the tabloids?

Stadium may take Giant step

BY MICHAEL SAUL, RALPH VACCIANO and BILL HUTCHINSON
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

The Giants threatened yesterday to make an end run to the proposed Manhattan West Side stadium as a deal to build them a new field in New Jersey appeared on the verge of collapse.

The stunning development - which also could bolster the city's 2012 Olympics hopes - came after the Jints' negotiations for a new Meadowlands stadium hit a snag, said New Jersey Acting Gov. Richard Codey.

"Yeah. They raised the specter," Codey said of the Giants' threat to join the Jets in the $1.7 billion pitch on the West Side.

A source said the Jets - who left the city in 1984 - and the Giants - who fled in 1976 - already have opened talks about combining forces to build the Manhattan stadium.

When asked about the threat to bolt, John Mara, Giants executive vice president and chief negotiator on the stadium project, told the Daily News, "We're going to consider all our options."

Mara said the plan for a $750million Meadowlands stadium no longer looks promising.

"The deal has kind of blown up," Mara said. "And we're not very optimistic that we're going to be able to conclude the deal."

The Jets declined to comment.

The Giants' involvement in the West Side plan could boost Mayor Bloomberg's bid to get the 75,000-seat stadium built.

Bloomberg has said the city's chances of landing the 2012 Olympics depend on building the West Side stadium.

But opponents of the stadium fear it would leave the West Side mired in gridlock and be more of a financial albatross than an economic boon for the city.

Codey said he hasn't given up on keeping both teams in the Garden State. He said talks with the Giants hit a rough spot yesterday when the team expressed concerns it would be hit with new taxes.

"I think, eventually at the end of the day, we'll get a deal done," he said.